Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

How to Pass the Torch Without Getting Burned

In her column today, Sheryl Gay Stolberg asks: What if your family was planning a big end-of-summer bash (a Grand Old Party, you might call it) but preferred that you not be seen — or heard?

That is the question hanging over President Bush, with eight weeks to go until Republicans gather in Minneapolis to nominate Senator John McCain as his successor. Convention planners, the White House and the McCain campaign are wrestling with how to choreograph a proper sendoff for Mr. Bush – sure, his poll numbers are in the tank, but he’s still the party leader and president of the United States — while hustling him out the door in time for Mr. McCain to look like his own man.

“I don’t think there are a lot of people who want to see him [Bush]at the convention,” said Mr. Rohrabacher, who is especially irked with Mr. Bush for his stance on immigration. He said the president “should stay home from the Republican convention, and everybody would be better off.”
____

This is horrible no matter how much you disagree with Bush. After all, he is our President and nothing makes our enemies more happier than these statements.

People hate Bush mainly because of the Iraq war. So, if Bush should stay home so should McCain. Their views are identical on the war issue and many other issues as well.

Just by showing up at the Republican convention Bush reminds voters of the misery he has inflicted upon millions of Americans. McCain can only distance himself so far from the man. This only makes the Democratic nominee look that much better. Ha ha!

You only have to look at the presumptive democratic nominee to see how low Bush has brought our country to its knees. Housing, gas prices, the Iraq war is the legacy Bush is going to leave the next President holding the bag. It will take years to get us out of the mess he and his administration have created. McCain looks lost and doesn’t seem to have the fire to convince people he should be President. But it seems he may become the default President because Obama fans must be smoking something if they think he has a chance of becoming President. As for Bush at the convention he has already driven the Republican party over the cliff and you will see it this November in the congressional elections where the Dems will sweep them clean. Whoever wins we are headed for more tough times ahead as both candidates are the same old hacks repackaging the same old tired ideas that got us into our current mess.

“Democrats face a similar quandary this year in figuring out what to do about former President Bill Clinton after the bitter primary race between his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the presumptive Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.”

The fact that Obama has scandalously and wrongly attacked the former president on a daily basis, calling him a racist among other infamous charge, and belittling the Clinton legacy, will hurt Obama at the convention. It’s clear now that Obama blows with every wind and is only out for himself. He has no character or integrity. If Bill Clinton speaks at the convention, he will do his usual masterful job and will add to his legacy. But Obama will not feel any lift from it. Obama will end up a small and meaningless side note like Dukakis, Mondale, and Kerry.

It won’t matter much. A hugely unpopular president, a moribund candidate, and a totally rejected GOP brand, leaves all parts equal. An old fashion wake, sleep off the hangover and await the next “messiah”.

Bob Dole called Jesse Helms ‘conservative’. George Bush calls himself conservative. Are these men and the political views they hold conservative?
I think not. While a remant of conservatism is present, the term conservative has been hijacked by the far fringe rightwing. The far right call themselves ‘conservative’. It used to stand for something. Smaller government, strong military, even moderation and tolerance for others views different from their own.
Reagan gets touted by the far right as their hero- why exactly? Hannity, Limbaugh, et al.
Clearly, Reagan would not be considered conservative today. He couldnt get nominated by the Republican Party today.
Remember, Reagan left Lebannon after the Marine Barracks bombing- old “cut and run” Reagan. He supported Immigration reform in 1986 allowing for citizenship to illegals who were here-amnesty. He raised taxes. Yes, he raised taxes. Cut and run, taxer, amnesty giver Reagan. THis is how far the right has moved.

When the far right doesnt agree with a republican court decision, the court get derided and we hear the judges were “appointed by republicans?” As if, they have fallen away from conservatism and are not really conservative. It has not ever occurred to the far fringe right that the decisions they made are conservative ones, but, they have gotten so far right they can only think they have been betrayed somehow. I miss conservatism, and hope it can be something brought back into the political fold.
Think about it.

Dear Steve, please provide one example of Obama saying Bill Clinton was a racist. Heck, we all know Bill played the race card, but Obama didn’t say so, any more than he called Hillary on her Bosnia debacle or her hard-working White folks speech. That’s because he treats fellow Democrats with dignity, even when they don’t deserve it.

steve pesce..dream on.
When Obama’s elected will you then write you were wrong? Doubtful. You will just find another cannard to complain about. Excesses did happen with the Clintons during the primary- and I supported Hillary. Her ‘white men’ comment, His ‘Jessie Jackson’ comment.
Lastly you undermine your own credibility with the statement, “The fact that Obama has scandalously and wrongly attacked the former president on a daily basis.” Its laughable, a ‘daily basis’? Please produce the daily comments from Obama. You may do it by date since the first Iowa Caucus, which would mean well over 300 comments. Ill wait. thks

What the Republicans need to do is put together a realistic summary of what George Bush has contributed, not contributed, his successes (like no post 9/11 terror attacks on US soil and preventing Saddam from being around to have a second large middle eastern rogue state pursuing nuclear weapons), and where he has fallen short.

The Party needs to give credit to Bush where it is due but also to the Democrat Congress where they collaborated–both in the positive and negative.

They need to find a positive way to allow constructive criticism of what didn’t work or work as well as hoped for Bush, and then champion the voice of the Republican Party as the agent of positive change, modified or new approaches that will evolve or be included in a McCain presidency.

They need to decouple McCain from Bush–as the Obama people have created the myth that McCain is just a clone of Bush and have been calling him McSame or McBush. The truth is the John McCain was only one of a large number of Republican Senators and Members of Congress who supported George Bush on a number of different actions or bills.

They need to point out where McCain differed from Bush, where he took his own direction and where he constructively collaborated across the aisle. An effective president, especially with the legislatures controlled by the other party, must have the ability to work with his adversaries and reach workable compromises.

George Bush himself needs to acknowledge the differences between himself and McCain, and applaud the idea that the Republican Party is rich in diverse ideas of what needs to be done, and acknowledge that he has not always been right, has made mistakes, and he will support a future President McCain in the new directions he envisions for the nation. If Hillary Clinton can do 180 degree turn on the man she said lacked the experience to be president, Mr. Obama, and then endorse him as the best hope for America, certainly George Bush can more easily endorse McCain and whatever new directions or modifications of Bush policies he wants to pursue.

The Republicans need to create a big tent to capture both the full spectrum of the Republican/Conservatives, as well as Independents and Reagan Democrats/disaffected Hillary Democrats who feel Obama wrongly pushed a better candidate out of the race and are seeing the flip flopper opportunist Obama really is (as noted in today’s New York Time Editorial, “The New Obama”).

As far as I am concerned, he can spread his taint on all of the party representatives as much as he wants. Those that elected this cretin (TWICE! to boot) as well as those that have abetted his hienous policies deserve the sour grapes he feeds them.

I hope all the non-Republican groups make sure the voters don’t forget how the economy got to this point, or how he enabled his cronies to sack our treasury, or how our image abroad got tarnished, or how he has wiped himself with our laws.

Go on GW lets see you parade with the GOP flag! or will you share the same hole in the ground where Saddam was hiding, maybe even the cave where Osama makes his home now?

President Bush can not pass the torch, to most Americans this is a democractic belief, maybe if this Bush had listened to his Father somewhat, he could speak of points of light. But unless this war is stopped America will not be able to pay there light and gas bills. Mr. President you still can end this mess, you are the decider afterall, you have used executive orders, to further this mess instead of what they are there for. Perhaps if more companies that build aircraft built the martin mars coulson tanker, the state of california wouldn’t be on fire “as much”,that isn’t a point of light Mr. Bush. I am so happy my children had served their military time before they had to fight in Irag or Afganistan, though I am sure they would have served proudly for the commander in chief, the middle east is not korea, the middle east will be fighting long after we Americans leave there. It is there nature. The republican convention would be spendid, if you withdrew the troops and just blockaded the country, and sent in forces when something called for it. How nice it would be for Republicans Democratis and Americans all over to hear you say “mission accomlished”, and no more of our future and present soldiers, military personnel could live to enjoy what they are fighting and dieing for. Happy 4th of July!